Senior Design Lead

Senior Design Lead (IDEO, LLC, San Francisco, California)

• Collaborate with junior employees on transformative interactive experiences through front‑end user interfaces, narrative storytelling, systems thinking, prototyping, creating production‑ready assets, and general design projects that identify and solve problems across a variety of industries and organizations large and small, established and new, 10%
• Support junior designers by teaching advanced design skills and project‑leading capabilities beyond project work and deepening their craft, 5%
• Navigate challenges, explore different outcomes, and cultivate collaboration to spark innovation and drive impactful results, understand the fundamentals of project financial health, and work with key collaborators to ensure financial success, 5%
• Facilitate client participation in the design thinking process by leading workshops, co‑creating concepts, translating client input into actionable design prototypes and specifications, and serving as the central point of contact for the client, 25%
• Apply principles of play, game mechanics, and interactive storytelling to inform design concepts, ensuring experiences are engaging, intuitive, and emotionally resonant, 10%
• Contribute to toy invention brainstorms and rapidly produce digital prototypes that explore mechanics, narratives, and user interactions for testing and refinement, 10%
• Mentor emerging talent, share knowledge, champion DEIB and psychological safety, and elevate collective work through curiosity, creativity, and craft rigor, 10%
• Be a trusted consultant to clients by building relationships with clients, progressing project work appropriately, and clearly communicating with client partners, 15%
• Define immersive, compelling experiences and design, prototype, and execute delightful human experiences that act as the interface between an organization’s customers and its products, services, and brand, 10%
• Travel up to 40% international & domestic for client meetings or conferences
• Work remotely (100% remote) and must reside in the U.S.; report to HQ in San Francisco, CA

• Bachelor’s degree or U.S. equivalent in Media Design, Interaction Design, or a related field, and at least 3 years of professional experience as an Interaction Designer, Design Intern, or in a similar occupation involving interaction and graphic design for digital platforms.
• Minimum 3 years of professional experience in Experience Design, Interaction Design, Human‑Computer Interaction, or Human Factors using design prototyping to test and refine interactive user experiences.
• Minimum 3 years of professional experience using Figma, Origami, Protopie, and Framer to create virtual and interactive prototypes across web, app, TV, voice, and motion platforms, and guiding other designers in these tools.
• Minimum 3 years of professional experience utilizing Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, After Effects) for visual design and asset creation.
• Minimum 3 years of professional experience creating interactive prototypes with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python.
• Minimum 3 years of professional experience using AR platforms and tools such as ARKit and Spark AR.
• Minimum 3 years of professional experience working with Unity and Unreal Engine for immersive or 3D experiences.
• Minimum 2 years of professional experience performing project management, including interaction with interdisciplinary teams.
• Minimum 1 year of professional experience in visual design, applying core design principles (type, color, grid, hierarchy) to develop cohesive, user‑centered interface designs across web and mobile platforms.
• Minimum 1 year of professional experience applying emerging technologies including artificial intelligence platforms, augmented/virtual reality, or comparable new interaction methods to produce functional prototypes or deployed design solutions.
• Minimum 1 year of professional experience designing and prototyping digital toys or interactive play experiences for consumer testing or market launch.

Salary: $153,691 - $160,000 per year.